Audible speed-indicator for rotating mechanism.



H. H. LEWIS.

AUDIBLE SPEED INDICATOR FOR ROTATING MECHANISM.

' APPLICATION FILED FEB. 5. 1915.

1 26 1,825., Patented Apr. 9, 1918.

l/VI/EIVTOR Harry H. Lew/"s,

r orrrea.

HARRY H. LEWIS, OF PORTLAND, OREGON, ASSIGNOR TO THE LEWIS SPEED GOVERNOR COMPANY, OF PORTLAND, OREGON, A CORPORATION OF OREGON.

AUDIIBLE SPEED-INDICATOR FOR ROTATING MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 9, 1918,

Application filed February 5, 1915. Serial No. 6,386.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I HARRY H. LEWIS, a citizen of the United tates, and a resident of Portland, county of Multnomah, and State of Oregon, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Audible Speed-Indicators for Rotating Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to means similar to those described in my application for Letters Patent entitled Audible under-speed indicator for rotating mechanism, filed June 18, 1914, under Serial Number 845,986,

and which has eventuated into Patent.

1,170,451. My invention is particularly designed for use as a speed indicator for cream separators. It is an established fact that unless a separator is operated at a proper speed, which must be determined relatively to the construction of the cream separator, there will be a loss of butter-fat, due to imperfect skimming. Speed indicators used prior to my invention were generally of the visible type, but these imposed upon the operator a necessity for keeping a constant watch on the indicator. These conditions were rather hard on the operator, because cream-separating work is quite frequently done under poor lighting conditions. On the other hand, a device operated by sound merely requires the operator to listen, and the most feasible way of using an audible indicator is to cause the indicator to emit alarms so long as the separator is operated under speed, for in under-speed lies the greatest fault in proper separation or skimming. The purpose of my present application for patent is to claim and protect the generic idea involved in my invention which, in a general way may be said to consist in the combination with the crank handle of a hand operated separator, of means comprising, for example, a bell and striker actuated by gravity and centrifugal force, and said means being adapted to sound an alarm during each revolution of said member while rotating under a predetermined speed, and to cease giving an alarm when such speed of rotation is exceeded.

1n the accompanying drawings, constituting a part hereof, Figure 1 represents the crank handle of a cream separator, the crank handle being shown in full outline as positioned at the highest point of its cycle of revolution, and its movement from such positions being shown in dotted outline;

Fig. 2 is a partial side elevation of the parts shown in Fig. l, and

Fig. 3 shows a sectional detail of bell and striker which may be used as the instrument for carrying out the purpose of my invent1on.

n, represents the revolving shaft of any commercial type of hand operated cream separator, and i the crank handle mounted thereon.

As shown in the drawings of this application, my device consists of a plate or base a, made with an integral arm I), on which is mounted the hell 0, the latter being secured in place by a screw 03. On the plate a, is mounted a pivot post a, which may consist of a screw, and on such post 6, is pivoted a hammer or striker g and h are stop-pins. The stop pins 9 are arranged to permit the striker f to strike the hell 0, only when the crank handle 71 is in, or approaching its highest position, as shown in full outline in Fig. 1; and, furthermore, this striking of the hell can only occur while the crankhandle z', is rotated under a predetermined speed. When the crank-handle is rotated in excess of such speed, then the developed centrifugal force causes the striker 7 to be thrown against the stop g, while the crankhandle is passing its highest point, and consequently no alarm is emitted. Therefore, when the alarm ceases, the operator of the separator knows that he is operating the separator at sufficient speed; but the moment the operator slacks the speed and operates the separator at under-speed, my device will again start to emit alarms.

The stop it merely serves to keep the striker from coming in contact with the bell after having struck the latter. The shank of the striker may be made resilient so that when the striker drops by gravity, it will strike the hell 0, and then rebound and remain clear of the latter, in so doing'permitting a better bell sound. If preferred, the stop pins 9 and it may be covered with a. soft material, such as rubber.

To the plate a, is fastened an arm 7'. by means of screws 7c, and the arm j has a hole 7, through which to insert a bolt, which may be the bolt m, of the handle for example, as shown in Fig. 1, and by which my device is secured to th crank-handle 1'. Where my indicator is to be used in connection with a definite make of separator, it may be attached to the crank-handle of the separator at a definite location, according to the theory of operation of a separator, and so as to bring out the best effects of the latter. But, when my indicator is designed as an attachment "to crank handles of separators of various makes, the means for attaching the same to the crank-handle must be adapted to admit of adjustment so that the device may be located relatively to the length of the crank-handle and the speed at which the latter shall be rotated. A convenient method of adapting my device for such adjustment, is to elongate the hole Z, as shown in Fig. 1, and where the adjustment so permitted is insufficient, the screw tobe inserted through the hole i must have a properly located screw-hole drilled into the crank-handle 2'.

The attaching means of my device may of course be varled as convenient.

The operation of my device is apparent from the above given description. l/Vhen the crank-handle i is first rotated, my speed indicator will emit an alarm during each revolution of the crank handle i and continue so to do until the latter has exceeded a predetermined minimum speed, whereupon the developed centrifugal force will be suflicient to arrest the striker f, holding it against or toward the stop-pin g, and consequently the emission of further alarms by the bell will cease.

To carry out the purpose of my invention, the parts Will, of course, have to be relatively arranged as described with respect to the separator upon which my device is used.

I claim:

1. In a device including a rotating member, the combination with the latter of an audible speed indicator comprising, a bell, a hammer adapted to be moved by gravity and centrifugal force and arranged to strike the bell during one position assumed by the member durin each revolution if the speed of revolution is sufficiently loW, a stop located to arrest the hammer and prevent it striking in other positions assumed by said member, and also when sufficient centrifugal menace force has been developed, by the speed of rotation of said member.

2. In a device including a rotating member, the combination with the latter of an audible adjustable speed indicator comprising a bell, a hammer adapted to be moved by gravity and centrifugal force and arranged to strike the bell during one position assumed by the member during each revolution if the speed of revolution is sufficiently low, a stop located to arrest the hammer and prevent it striking in other positions assumed by said member, and also when sufficient centrifugal force has been developed, by the speed of rotation of said member.

3. The combination with a device of the character described, including a rotatin shaft, of a speed indicator carried on sai shaft and comprising a sound emitter, a striker, and means to limit the strokes delivered by the striker during each complete revolution of said shaft, said means also holding the striker against action when the shaft rotates above a predetermined speed.

4.. In combination with an audible speed indicator comprising a sound emitter, a striker, and means for controlling the action of the latter due to gravity or centrifugal force, means for supporting said speed indicator on a rotating element, said supporting means being adapted to permit the speed indicator to be given a longitudinal and arcuate adjustment with respect to a radius of the axis of rotation of the rotating element on which it is affixed.

5. In combination with an audible speed indicator comprising a sound emitter, a striker, and means for controlling the action of the latter due to gravity or centrifugal force, means for supporting said speed indicator on a rotating element, such supporting means provided with a slot and being adapted for pivotal connection to the rotating element, whereb the speed indicator may be adjustably afhxed with respect to a radius of the axis of rotation of the rotating element.

HARRY H. LEWIS.

Witnesses:

WM. C. SoHMrrr, D. E. CRABB. 

